Trunk.



G. R. DENNIS.

TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED MAYM, 1910.

3 SHEETB-8HEET 1.

my My Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

G. R. DENNIS.

TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY14, 1910.

1,089,333, Patented Mar.3, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. n v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARA ROSSER DENNIS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TRUNK.

roaaaaa.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLARA Rossnn DENNIS, of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a certain new and useful 11nprovement in Trunks, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

For certain purposes where a short trip is to be made, such, for example, as a week end trip, it is desirable to carry a small trunk only, and one that is capable of satisfactorily containing the apparel of both a man and a woman, including a hat for each; and it is desirable in reducing the number of trunks a person needs to own to render a trunk suitable for the special purpose named, capable of being changed or converted into one for the general use of either a man or a woman.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a trunk that is easily convertible from a condition suited for the special requirements mentioned, into a condition for general use, and in particular, my object is to utilize an ordinary steamer trunk in this way, in View of the small and compact size of the steamer trunk.

My invention therefore consists in the trunk construction as hereinafter specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view showing the interior construction of a trunk embodying my invention when arranged for packing, along with other things, a hat for a woman and a hat for a man; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same with the upper tray and the middle tray removed; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In view of the fact that my object more particularly is to utilize an ordinary steamer trunk because of its small size and compact ness, I illustrate my invention in the drawings as embodied in such a trunk, which has a body 10 of ordinary construct-ion, which, at about its longitudinal center, has a transversely extending partition 11 that extends only part way from the bottom of the trunk to the top thereof. On one side of said partition the compartment thereby formed, which is slightly oblong from front to back, is intended to accommodate a womans large hat, which, being of circular or substantially circular form, leaves an unoccupied space at each of the four corners of the compartment. To utilize such corner spaces, I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 14, 1910.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

Serial No. 561,365.

place in each a removable, diagonally, or obliquely, extending partition 12 so that small articles may be packed therein, which, by means of the partition, will be securely retained in place, as well as possible damage to the hat therefrom, should they be free to move, prevented. A lip or flange 13 is provided on the trunk walls to engage each edge of the removable partition. It will be seen that the partitions 1'2 brace or stiffen the trunk walls since each partition is straight and directly extends diagonally between and engage walls at right angles.

On the bottom of the trunk, at the center of the womans hat-receiving compartment, is a removable hat center 14. It will be seen that by removing the hat center and also the obliquely extending partitions 12 the entire space formed between the three walls of the body of the trunk and the partition can be utilized for packing purposes when the womans hat is not to be carried in the trunk.

1n the upper part of the compartment provided for the reception of a womans hat, 1 place a tray let that corresponds in its lateral dimensions with the similar dimensions of the said compartment, and which I, for convenience, term the middle tray, which tray rests upon the tops of the obliquely extending partitions 12 with its upper edge reaching to the level or plane of the upper edge of the trunk partition 11. Said middle tray 14' is invertible to provide for the contingency of a hat so high as to require an extra space above it, a space in the upper part of the hat compartment being thus afforded equal to the depth of the middle tray.

On the side of the partition 11 opposite that which constitutes the compartment for a womans hat, the space in the body of the trunk is divided by a longitudinally extending partition 15 extending from the bottom of the trunk to the level of the transversely extending partition 11, and which forms two front and back compartments, the back compartment being shown as wider from front to back than the front compartment. The lower part of the front compartment is of a size to fit it to receive a mans shirts in the lower-part thereof, and above the shirt receiving space it contains a tray 16 loosely fitting within the compartment and preferably divided by a partition 17, sufficiently near one end of the tray to constitute, or afford, a larger and a smaller tray compartment, the larger one suited to hold a mans shoes and the smaller to hold collars and cuffs.

The compartment in rear of the partition 15 is divided into two compartments by a rearWa-rdly and forwardly extending partition 18, one of said compartments being smaller than the other and suited to hold a Womans shoes and the other ecmpartment is suitable to contain a mans silk or high hat, for Which purpose it is provided with a hat support, conveniently made of pasteboard, comprising a base 19 that substantially fits the compartment in its lateral dimensions, and a frusto-conical, or substantially cylin drical, hollow vertical Wall 20, the diameter thereof gradually diminishing from bottom to top and its top edge being curved concavely, or dished, in the direction lengthwise of the hat, so that the hat brim will rest snugly thereon and at its sides over-hang the sides of said holder. By reason of its conical, or inclined form, there is no danger of the sides of the hat having contact with the sides of the support to the possible injury of the hat, and as the hat is firmly mounted on the top edge of said holder it is substantially held from lateral or sidewise movement. Preferably a strap 21, and buckle therefor, is provided that at its ends is attached to the rear Wall of the trunk and the longitudinally extending partition, so as to stretch across the hat and engage the brim thereof, and thereby hold the hat and its support securely from up and down movement in the compartment. inasmuch as the compartment containing the hat holder is rectangular, While the portion of the hat holder above the base is substantially cylindrical, there are corner spaces in the hat-receiving compartment into which small ar ticles may be packed, and as the diameters of the substantially cylindrical member of the hat support are much less than the di ameters of the compartment, there are spaces in the compartment beneath the hat brim suitable for packing small articles, which, of course, are kept out of contact With the hat by the Wall which the substantially cylindrical member of the holder forms. By making the hat support removable, it Will be seen that the entire space Within the man's hat-receiving compartment may be utilized for packing other articles when it is not desired to place a mans hat in the trunk.

Sufiicicnt space is left in the upper part of the trunk above the two hat and other compartments that i have described, to receive a tray 22 that corresponds to the dimensions of the trunk from end to end and from front Wall to back Wall, the dimensions of said tray being such as to enable its use for articles of apparel of a man and a WO- man. for which provision is not otherwise specially made. To opposite end Walls of the tray I attach several short tapes or straps having safety pins or other attaching devices by means of which an ar ticle of apparel such as a mans trousers or a woman s skirt, can be securely held from being thrown about cr mussed, the pins or securing devices being movable to difierent points along the straps, should occasion require, so that the purpose had in view may best be secured.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A trunk having a compartment of rectangular form, and diagonally extending, straight, removablepartitions contiguous to each corner of said compartment and reach ing between and bearing against Walls at right angles to each other, and a removable tray fitting said compartment and resting upon and supported by said removable partitions.

2. A trunk having a compartment of rectangular form, diagonally extending, straight, removable partitions contiguous to each corner of said compartment and reaching between and bearing against Walls at 'ight angles to each other, and an invertible tray in the upper part of said compartment and resting upon and supported by said partitions.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

CLARA ROSSER DENNIS. ll' itnesses W. F. DENNIS, CHAS. J. lVILLIAMsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. G. 

